Scientists make small robot insect fly wirelessly via a laser

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Scientists at the American University of Washington have made a small insect robot fly by means of a laser. The laser provides the energy, so that no wire is needed for the power supply.

The researchers aimed an almost invisible laser beam at a photovoltaic cell attached to RoboFly, which converts the light into enough electricity for the robot to move its two small wings quickly. Not much heavier than a toothpick and almost small enough for a person’s fingertips, the robot uses wings because it’s too small for propellers. In the video you can see how RoboFly gets off the ground, but there is no real controlled flying around yet. As soon as it takes off, the photovoltaic cell moves out of range of the laser, so that no more power can be generated.

Making the wings flap or move was a significant challenge because it requires a lot of energy. Researcher Sawyer Fuller believes that a flying robot should be able to operate freely without the need for a wire. Using a laser turned out to be the most efficient way to transfer a lot of energy quickly, without having to add a lot of weight.

However, the laser was still insufficient for the required voltage to make the wings of RoboFly move. To solve this problem, the researchers built a circuit into the robot that can significantly increase the voltage: the 7V of the photovoltaic cell can be increased to 240V.

To actually get off the ground, RoboFly needs to control its own wings. To this end, a microcontroller has also been added to the circuit to increase the voltage. This microcontroller sends a signal to the wings, so that they have to move very hard at the desired moments or not. To do this, the controller sends the voltage in waves, to mimic the flapping of the wings of real insects. For example, to quickly flap the wings forward, the controller sends a series of pulses in quick succession, then slows down the pulsation as the crest of the wave comes into view. This process is reversed to make the wings move in the other direction.

The RoboFly can be used for all kinds of applications, but according to Fuller, there is a role for the insect robot, for example, to detect methane leaks. “You can open a suitcase full of the robots and send them flying through a building, looking for gas plumes leaking out of pipes and pipes.”

The current version of RoboFly requires a laser, but future versions may be powered by small batteries or powered by radio waves. This allows the power requirement to be adapted to the desired tasks. A future version will also include a more advanced controller and sensors that allow the robot to navigate autonomously. The researchers will present their findings on May 23 at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation conference in Brisbane, Australia.

Researcher Fuller was also responsible for the RoboBee, a two-centimeter robot capable of flying, landing in the water, swimming and taking off again. Electrolysis is used for propulsion from the water. An important difference between RoboBee and RoboFly is that the former still depended on a wire for power supply and control.

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